Canadiens set to name Michel Therrien as head coach

06/05/2012 02:16 EDT
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Updated
08/04/2012 05:12 EDT

CBC

The Montreal Canadiens have decided to dip into their past to hire Michel Therrien as their next head coach.

Sources confirmed reports late Monday evening that new Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin will install the 48-year-old native of Montreal for his second go-around with the storied franchise within the next 24-to-48 hours.

In a thorough search, Bergevin narrowed down his choice to Therrien and Marc Crawford. Therrien, who hasn’t coached in the NHL for the past two-plus seasons, won the nod.

Both Therrien and Bergevin played junior in Chicoutimi, but Therrien’s final season with the Sagueneens was in 1981-82, the year before Bergevin arrived on the scene.

After a successful stint as a junior coach, in which he steered Granby to the 1995-96 Memorial Cup championship, Therrien coached the Habs for parts of three seasons a decade ago. But he was fired after an 18-19-4 start midway through the 2002-03 season.

He eventually landed in Pittsburgh and steered the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup final, but they were beaten by the Detroit Red Wings in six games.

The Penguins fired Therrien on Feb. 15, 2009 and four months later under Dan Bylsma they avenged their Stanley Cup final defeat with a win over Detroit in seven games. Therrien has been a pro scout with the Minnesota Wild for the past two seasons.